Tuesday, June 7, 2011

When Boeing announced that it would be opening up a plant in South Carolina, it caught the attention of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which filed a complaint against the aircraft manufacturer. Why? Because South Carolina is a right-to-work state. The NLRB should have no influence whatsoever over such a decision made by Boeing. South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint wants answers as to what drove this complaint. He has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in hopes of getting those answers:

Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina requested documents from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Monday, in connection with the ongoing lawsuit over Boeing moving a production plant to Charleston, S.C.

The request, made through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeks documents pertaining to the NLRB’s decision to go after Boeing’s decision to relocate to a right-to-work state. Specifically, it includes communications between NLRB and union officials at the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and officials in Congress and the Obama Administration.

The FOIA letter was sent to Lafe Solomon, Acting General Counsel at the NLRB, and Jacqueline Young, General Counsel and FOIA Officer at the NLRB.

In DeMint's letter, he makes it explicitly clear that he wants to know if union members bought access to the NLRB. If so, this could be yet another significant scandal brewing for the Obama administration.

The Barack Obama administration is apparently planning to completely thumb its nose at the House Resolution demanding answers on its actions in Libya. It's really very simple. The War Powers Act of 1973 mandates that any president get congressional approval for any military operation after 60 days. That deadline passed weeks ago. This president is blowing off a law that was passed over Richard Nixon's veto and when House Speaker John Boehner gets a resolution passed that's already far too lightly worded, he's repaid by Obama telling him he's basically going to ignore it?

The White House brushed off congressional demands for a detailed report outlining U.S. objectives in Libya, a move likely to stoke further anger on Capitol Hill over President Barack Obama’s decision not to seek lawmakers’ consent for the military operation.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday that administration officials were already answering questions about Libya in briefings on Capitol Hill. A House resolution calling on Obama to provide more detailed answers was “unhelpful,” Carney added, suggesting that the administration has no plans to formally respond within the 14-day window outlined in the measure.

Perhaps we're learning why Obama has invited Boehner to play golf one day after the deadline issued in the resolution. Boehner is either a willing participant or he's being played like a drum.

"Nice golf shot, John. Man, you're good at this. Now how about you forget about that Libya thing?"

Last week, it was reported that a Mexican military helicopter was forced to land when drug cartels fired on two of them. Sharyl Attkisson at CBS News is now reporting that the guns used in the incident have been tied back to the ATF's Operation Fast and Furious and Project Gunrunner programs. Now that it is indisputable that officials at the highest levels of the U.S. Government authorized placing these weapons into the hands of these cartels, this particular incident poses some very serious problems for whoever is individually responsible because firing on any aircraft is considered a 'terrorist act.'

CBS News has learned that the recent case of a Mexican military helicopter forced to land after it was fired upon is linked to the ATF Fast and Furious "gunwalker" operation.

Drug cartel suspects on the ground shot at Mexican government helicopters two weeks ago in western Mexico, forcing one chopper to land. Authorities seized more than 70 assault rifles and other weapons from the suspects.

Among the seized weapons are guns sold to suspects as part of the ATF sting operation, sources say. That information came from traces of serial numbers.

Gunrunning scandal uncovered at the ATF

"Shooting at an aircraft is a terrorist act," says one U.S. law enforcement source. "What does that say if we're helping Mexican drug cartels engage in acts of terror? That's appalling if we could have stopped those guns."

The Department of Justice provided no information or comment when asked about the incident by CBS News.

CBS is also reporting that Darrell Issa's hearings on Project Gunrunner are scheduled to start on June 13th and ATF whistleblower / agent John Dodson is expected to be among the first to testify.